Jack Butland is still learning the goalkeeper’s craft – but has the ability to go to the very top.

Former Blues No.1 Maik Taylor says it is easy to forget that this season is Butland’s first at Championship level.

“Jack played what, 24 games at Cheltenham last season and got called up by the senior England squad and was part of the Olympic team,” said Taylor.

“With all that happening it was an unbelievable year for him and it was a lot to take on, a lot of pressure on the shoulders of a young lad.

“The reality is that he was going to make mistakes as he is still learning and improving and he had not played in the Championship before.

“When you make a mistake as a goalkeeper, you look for a reaction – and when things haven’t gone for him he has been very, very good in responding.

“He is a very level-headed lad, he works extremely hard and he certainly has got all the attributes to do very well.”

Butland has turned in some outstanding performances for Blues since being pitched into the fray this campaign but there have also been some errors and uncertain moments.

The 20-year-old is his own harshest critic and set high standards for himself.

“A lot has happened quickly for Jack and it might have been too much for another goalkeeper,” said Taylor, who returned to St Andrew’s on Saturday with Millwall.

“But he has kept his feet on the ground and bounced back when he’s needed to.

“If he keeps working hard and keeps striving to improve – which I am sure he will – then certainly he will be in the England reckoning in the very near future.”

Taylor’s Blues career was coming to and end as Butland’s was starting but he has trained alongside him at Wast Hills.

“When he was linked with Chelsea in the transfer window, that was massive for him,’’ Taylor added.

“Had he gone there he it would have been great financially but, for his career, it would have been a bad move. It said so much about Jack that he opted to go elsewhere and Stoke City made sense, as it looks as if Asmir Begovic will be leaving.

‘‘So there’s likely to be an opening for him there.”

Taylor, an eight-year Blues stalwart, admitted he was ‘choked’ by the reception he received at the Millwall game. At half-time the Tilton Road End rose to applaud the 41-year-old as he went through a series of drills.